Head-lifting detector for golfers



Sept. 18, 1923. 1,468,386

J. M. M DONALD HEAD LIFTING DETECTOR FOR GOLFERS Filed Aug. 23 1922 longitudinal aXis of the frame is in a hori-' roar; whom it may concern:

Patented Sept. 18,1923.

fl ten ta s rarest JAMES ramaenonann, 023 user ORANGE, new-Jansen HsAn LIrrme' nn-"i noroa non eoL rnRs.

Application filed au us ea, 1922. Serial No. 583,763.

Be it known that 1, JAMES M. l

residin at East ()ran 'e in the count of C i b 7 Essen and State of New Jersey, have ii1vent ed certain new and useful Improvements 1n Head-Lifting Detectors for Golfers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

In playingthe game of golf with an thing approaching proficiency, there are cer-' tainfundalnental principles or rules which' beginners must learn and which adepts are constantly violating, and one of the most stringent of these is concisely expressed in the injunction to keep your eye on the.

I have devised a device ofvery simple character which any player may profitably use that gives an'unfailing indication of any violation of this rule, and thus enables either a tyro or an expert to see at once if he is going astray in this most important requirement of the game. This device forms the subject of my present application for Letters Patent.

In general terms the improvement consists of a frame, usually and convenientlyan ordinary spectacle frame, either with or without glasses or lenses, which is provided with a transverse rail or guide, not in the direct line of vision, but sufiiciently near it to be readily seen, and on or over this guide there is a. traveling opaque object'such as a bead, pendant or any other suitable small object which normal y, or so long as the guide or zontal position, rests at one end of the same, but the moment the guide or axis is inclined to the horizontal, which occurs whenever the wearer looks up from the ball, thenthe beador other object travels along the guide and across the field of vision of the player, showing him that he has not kept his eye on the ball. f

Manifestly, the objects of the invention are secured to the full by many modified forms of this device. For example, the object which crosses the field of vision when necessarily'slide over or along a rail or guide, as'it might be'b'roughtin other Ways bythe forceof gravity into view. It is not essential that the object travel entirely across the field of visionof both eyes, provided its movement be sufficient to effect the desired IIDPIGSSlOll upon the player, but in practice I have found the device which I shall hereinafter illustrate and describe as the best adapted for general purposes and it is the preferred form of theimprovement.

In the drawings hereto annexed:

" Fig. l'is a view in'elevation of what I term a'fra'me to which my improvement is applied.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the same.

Fig. 3 shows the details of the means for attaching the guide to the frame.

Fig. L is a sectional view on the line a s of Fig.2. a

F'g; 5 is a'view in elevation of a modified form of eyeglass or spectacle frame with the improvement attached.

Fig. '6 is a sectional-view on the line 66 of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 7 is a side view of a portion of Fig. 6.

The support for the guide, as above stated, may be a regular or a modified form of spectacle frame 1, as shown in Fig. 1, and it may have glasses or lenses or not, as desired.

Carried by this frame is a transverse guide bar 2 of any desired shape and proper character, on which there is mounted and, free to slide or travel an opaque object such as a bead or ball 3. The guide bar is supported from the frame by arms a in front of and somewhat above the same so as to be near but not directly in the line of vision.

To enable the device'to be folded and packed in an ordinary spectacle case, the arnls at are pivoted between the sides of metal piece 5, pressed up from sheet metal which has two projections 6, adapted to pass'ovcr the joint between the frame and the bows 7 and to be secured thereto by the screw 8. The arm a has small projections 9 on its sides that enter holes 10 in the piece 5,'the of which have more or less spring, andthis holds the said arms in operative position in use. They may, how-- ever, be freed from this partially locked position when the arms are turned by hand to the position indicated by dotted lines in the player looks up from the ball-neednot I A'oDoNALn, fa. citizen of the United States of "America,

' of the guide as one faces it, but with a left- 7 4: when used with such a'device are con veniently pivoted to parts 5 which are passed down over projections 11 and secured,

if need be,'by nuts 12,

If bows are used with this or other form of frame they may be adjustable with respect thereto by a slot attachment 13, as

:shown in Fig.7, by which means the dis tance of the guide from the eyes of the player may bevaried at will.

Normally, with a right-hand player the ball or bead is normally at the left-hand end hand player it is at the other end as shown in Fig. 1. As stated, its limit of travel may be fixed at anything less than the full length of the guide. For example, the guide may have a bowed portion at the center and at ends which limits the travel unless the head is turned too high.

Manifestly,'from the above description, if a player looks steadily at his ball while addressing it and then raises his head-to watch the flight of the ball after it is struck, the bead'travels across the field of vision notifying him that he has done wrong. This device, therefore, is most useful in teaching one to play properly in this regard.

What I claim as my invention is 1. A device for golf players of the kind herein described comprising incombination a frame adapted to be worn like a pair of V spectacles, a transverse guide carried there by somewhat out of the direct line of vision and an object adapted to travel along such Z guide from one side of the same when such guide is inclined to'the horizontal.

2. A device for golf playersuse comprising aspectacle frame, a bar carried by the same somewhat'f above the direct line of vision, and anobject adapted totravel along it is'inclined to-the 'hori case, and an opaque ball or the like movable freely over the guide bar. 7 V 7 '4. A device for golf players, of the kind herein described, comprising a transverse guide adapted'to be supported on the head of the player and somewhat out ofthe direct line of vision and an objectadapted to travel along such guide from one: side of the-same when the'head is raised and the guideinclined to the horizontal.

In testimony whereof I hereto aflix my signature.

JAMES M. MACDONALD. 

